Can-opener



No. 609,413. Patented Aug. 23, I898- m. F. CONNETT, In.

CAN OPENER. (Application filed June 23, 1897.)

(N0 Modal.)

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MATTHEW F. CONNETT, JR.

PATENT OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

CAN-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 609,413, dated August 23, 1898.

Application filed June 23, 1897.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, MATTHEW F. CONNETT,, Jr., of Memphis, in the county of Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Openers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to a can-opener provided with means for grasping the can and rotating it to receive the cutting action of the knife or cutter for cutting or removing the head of the can therefrom.

It consists in the combination, with a pair of hinged arms or levers adapted to grasp the rim of the can between them, of a cutterblade applied to one arm and a feed-roller applied to the other arm and provided with means for rotating it, and with it the can, for carrying the latter to the action of the knife or cutter, in a'novel construction of knife or cutter whereby it is prevented from disengaging itself from the can during the'cutting operation, and in the combination, with the knife-carrying arm, of means for guiding the movements of the can relative to the knife or cutter.

It further consists in means for the attachment of the can-opener to a table or other suitable support and permitting its ready adjustment to the can to be operated upon and in certain details of construction and arrange ments of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the can-opener and of the means connected therewith for attaching it to a table or other suitable support and per mitting its adjustment. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the can-opener, and Fig. 3 represents a bottom plan view of the hinged arms carrying the operative parts of the can-opener.

1 and 2 indicate arms or levers of the canopener, which are connected at one end by perforated and" shouldered ears 3, giving the form of a butt-hinge, which permits the arms to be brought together or to beopened into a position in which they are substantially in alinement, or as shown in Fig. 3. The arms or levers are provided with suitable handles $erial No. 641,982. No model.)

4, and near its hinged end the arm 2 carries a pendent cutter 5, made, preferably, in substantially V shape and suitably secured upon the arm 2. The shank may, however, be eX- tended in theplane of the blade and riveted to the inner face of the arm 2, if preferred. The cutter-blade is provided at 6 with an oblique cutting edge and just below said edge with a forWardly-projectin g finger 7 adapted after the cutter has been inserted in the end of the can, adjacent to' the cylindrical side wall thereof, to engage the end Wall of the can in advance of the oblique cutting edge and so prevent the latter from forcing the cutter out of the can. This finger is rounded on its upper face to prevent it from cutting the can where it engages it. Outside of the cutter 5 the arm 2 has a series of perforations 8 to receive a headed vertical pin 9, passing loosely through one of the perforations and pendent from the arm 2 for engaging the inner face of the side wall of the can and guiding the latter in its movements. It is adjustable from one to another of the perforations to adapt it to the size of the can to be operated upon. The opposing arm or lever 1 is provided with a pendent block 10, rigid on said arm, and which when the cutter 5 has been inserted in the end of the can, adjacent to the side wall thereof, is adapted to grasp said wall and hold it snugly against the adjacent side of the cutter. The block 10 is recessed on its inner face to receive a feed-wheel12, journaled at its lower-end at 13 in the lower wall of the recess and at its upper end to hearings in a plate 14:, secured to the upper face of the block 10 or to the lower face of the arm itself. The upper journal 15 of the feed-wheel extends above the arm and has a crank-arm 16 secured to its upper end for rotating it, and the feed-wheel12 is roughened, toothed, or corrugated on its periphery for adapting it to engage the rim of the can on its outer face for rotating the can against the cutting action of the knife-blade. Just inside of the journal 15 or on the hinged end of the arm 1 said arm is provided on its inner face with a pin or stop 17, adapted to'abut against the arm 2 whenthereis nothing between the cutter and feed-wheelfor preventing injurious contact between said parts. For securing the can opener to a table or other suitable support the arm 1 thereof is connected with a suitable bar or iron strap standard 18 by means of a thumb-screw 19, and the strap 18 is connected with the edge of a table or other suitable support by means of a loopbracket 20, which is screwed or otherwise rigidly fastened to the support, and in which loop the standard 18 can be readily adjusted up or down to adapt the opener to the size or height of the can to be operated upon.

In practice the can-opener will be raised to the desired height for placing the can (indicated in dotted lines) underneath the same and suitably supported, after which the canopener is forced downward and the knife or cutter 5 is projected through the end wall of thecan in close proXimit-ywith the cylindrical portion of the side wall thereof. By grasping the handles so as to cause the knife and the feed-wheel to grasp the side Wall of the can snugly between them and rotating the crank-arm 16, moving the latter from left to right, the can by the action of the roughened feed-Wheel12 thereon will be caused to rotate from right to left, thereby causing the cutting edge 6 to act upon the end wall of the can, adjacent to the side wall thereof, for cutting the latter, with the finger 7 operating in advance of said cutting edge and bearing against the inner face of the end wall for preventing the oblique edge of the cutter from forcing the cutter out of engagement with said end wall. By continuing the rotation of the crank-arm in the direction indicated the end Wall of the can will be cut smoothly from the side walls or cylinder of the can and in close proximity therewith, the can being guided in its movements by being held snugly against the pendent block 10 and the feedwheel and guided in relation thereto by means of the adjustable pin-guide 9. By attaching the guide by means of the standard 18 and loop-bracket 20 to a suitable support, such as a table or shelf, upon which the can can be placed for operating upon it the opener will be always in readiness for operation, and it will be found speedy and efficacious in its action.

Having thus described the invention,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a can-opener, the combination of the adj ustably-connected lever-arms carrying one the cutter and the adjustable can-guide and the other the feed-wheel, and means for actuating said Wheel, said wheel and cutter being arranged to grasp the sides of the can between them, substantially as described.

2. In a can-opener, the combination of the adj ustably-connected lever-arms, the one carrying a pendent cutter and the other the pendent feed-wheel and means for actuating it, and a stop for preventing injurious contact between the feed-wheel and cutter, substantially as described.

3. In a can-opener, the combination of the adj ustably-connected lever arms, the pendent cutter and the adjustable can-guide connected with one of said arms, a feed-wheel and means for actuating it connected with the opposing arm, and a stop interposed between said arms for preventing injurious contact of the knife with the feed-wheel, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MATTHEW F. OONNETT, J R.

W'itnesses:

DANIEL K. GRACE, WALTER J. JoYoE. 

